Last summer Cavaliers frustratingly missed out on the Royal Hotel Cup semi-finals in a three-way, net run rate countback but the maroons have made sure that won’t happen again in 2018-19, thanks to Friday night’s easy win over CYMS.
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The comfortable, 43-run win was Cavaliers’ third consecutive victory in the group stage and guarantees them a semi-final berth, with the rest of their pool B rivals now locked in an intriguing race to second.
With one game remaining for all four sides CYMS, Centennials Bulls and Bathurst City, incredibly, are mathematically a shot at finishing second, although the latter’s ordinary net run rate of -0.939 is probably already a decisive factor.
Cavaliers skipper Matt Corben won the toss at Wade Park on Friday night and batted, with Josh Doherty and marquee recruit Ben Patterson kicking things off in hard-hitting fashion.
They added 39 for the first wicket, making 26 and 24 respectively, and while there was only two other bats to make any headway the maroons’ total of 123 was always going to be competitive.
Ryan Kurtz (24) and Mitch Black (24) were those two bats, with no other maroons players cracking double figures.
Hugh Le Lievre (3-14) was the best of CYMS’ bowlers, while Chris Novak (2-15), Peter Gott (2-19) and Jarryd Hatton (2-18) also took multiple scalps.
Patterson was the star with the bowl, the Dubbo, Western Zone and NSW Country quick sending down thunderbolts and leaving CYMS reeling early.
He took care of Matt Baker (3) and Tom West (4) early to leave the green and golds in strife at 2-7, they never really recovered.
The biggest partnership of the innings was just 17 and that came from Tom Belmonte (22) and Mitch Winslade (7) for the fifth wicket, with the former the only CYMS’ bat to pass double figures.
Patterson returned later to clean bowl Ed Wright (0) and finish with 3-17 from his four overs, while Wes Lummis actually turned in the side’s best figures with 4-3.
Mitch Black (2-17) and Mark Maybin (1-25) cleaned up the rest as CYMS limped to 80 in reply, a total that could have actually been substantially less had Cavaliers not been so wayward with the ball.
The maroons gave CYMS plenty of help by conceding a whopping 24 sundries.
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